When someone tells you it's a $40,000 amp, does it sound better?

“It tells me their have more money than brains.”

Yeah… no. All the audiophiles with large budgets I have known have earned their money. They used their brains and hard work to get their money and use their brains and hard work to acquire audiophile equipment to make absolutely sure they get value what they pay for.

OP, fortunately my gear is in my man cave floor… I guess we are also hermits. I think I have had five or six people down here in twenty years. My system is for me only. 

@invalid,

“So it's okay to spend just under $20,000 for amplifiers, but $40,000 that's too much, some people think $2,000 is too much.”

No it’s none of my business what someone pays for an amp. Yes the majority of people on earth would think a 2k amp is ridiculous. I don’t think that. I think amps that cost what a car does is ridiculous but could give 2 s..ts who buy them. I could buy a 40k amp if I chose to but I do not. There are “magical” amps that cost 200k. If someone wants to buy them have at it. 
 

A guy like ghdprentice said in another thread a 22 thousand dollar streamer was a screaming deal! That’s just funny as hell to me. Buy what you want. 

Hello...My Experience.

Just because a piece of gear has a high price doesn't in itself mean that it will sound good. Also, what sounds good to some might not be your cup of tea. 

Usually when a system has a 40K amp it will usually be paired with equally expensive components, speakers ETC.   

Now the caveat.  I have heard some killer systems in killer rooms - some stupidly expensive and others more reasonably priced.  Achieving good sound is a matter of good system synergy...

That being said,  when you hear a properly set up system at a higher price point the experience can be completely humbling.       

AMPLIFIERS have to be considered in light of the speakers you pair them with. If the speakers fail to reveal more subtle details on the recording, then the amps do not have to be "quiet enough" to produce that level of detail. In that case you're better off buying a less expensive New amp, or go with an older (but more prestigious) brand that 20 years ago "used to be" a top performer. If you are planning to get much better speakers as soon as you save up the money, and you can get a great amplifier on sale or a demo now, you might consider buying it. The best route is almost always to stop eating out and use your bicycle instead of your car to get around, and get the speakers you feel you will be hanging onto for a long time FIRST. Then buy a NAD, HEGEL (or similar darn good amp (or even a well made integrated) and enjoy your music. And IMO avoid components made abroad which are exotic and exclusive (some reviewers consider them to be "the best") but are simply more expensive for the same performance you can get here. High-End  Audio is about what YOU think sounds really good, but there's always the pressure to get something "the experts" proclaim to be 10th row at Carnegie Hall. Especially when it comes to wire, you know your cables are well made, but are they limiting what gets to your speakers? How much more money should you spend on them?I think of all the years I didn't even think about wire as I enjoyed every minute listening to the same music I still listen to now....